Never forget the simple mnemonic, "ercatli"

[ercatli]

G'day everyone from Sydney, Australia.

 

They said to explain my username, so here goes. Almost a lifetime ago, during the Vietnam war, I was conscripted into the army. The non-word "ercatli" was used as a mnemonic in an old British army training film, which we National Servicemen thought was amusing in a Monty Python sort of way. So the non-word became a word in our vocabulary, and I use it to this day.

 

My interest is in cosmology although I have no training in it. Thanks for having me.

[freeztar]

Welcome to Hypography! ;)

[Pyrotex]

...The non-word "ercatli" was used as a mnemonic....

;) Uhhh... Just exactly what IS the mnemonic? How does it work or what is it a cue for?

[ercatli]

Uhhh... Just exactly what IS the mnemonic? How does it work or what is it a cue for?

 

I thought I wouldn't bore you with the details, but since you ask .....

 

The problem is, I remember the mnemonic, but no longer remember what it stands for! The training film was on how to lay field telephone cables (yes, we had an exciting time!), which I don't suppose is a skill we still need in this day of mobile phones, when soldiers talk to their girlfriends while engaged in deadly combat, but back then it was important.

 

The rules for the art of laying field telephone cables include such helpful advice as not laying wires across roads that tanks are using, which I mightn't have thought of otherwise. So the mnemonic "ercatli" was something like:

 

Enemy - if you see enemy soldiers, you've probably run the cable too far!

Roads - avoid them!

Choose the most direct route (or you may run out of cable)

Always stand at attention when not doing anything useful

Tangles in the wire can cause messages to be garbled

Length - the wire must be long enough

Internet - one day we won't have to do all this stuff

 

Now you know why we lost the Vietnam war! I may not have got them quite right, but you get the idea. I bet you're so glad you asked now! :)

[palmtreepathos]

Welcome witty fellow.... :confused:

[Pyrotex]

I thought I wouldn't bore you with the details, but since you ask ........ I bet you're so glad you asked now! :rant:

Woopie-doo

 

:confused: